By Helena Edge
A man who gives is getting back. Jason Sawyer, MSW PhD, and Assistant Professor of Human Services at Old Dominion 91¶ÌÊÓƵ, is the recipient of the Association for Community Organization and Social Action (ACOSA) 2022 Emerging Scholar Award.
Sawyer, a long-time community practitioner-scholar and activist, has always been committed to deep, prolonged engagement in the communities and organizations in which he works. His current and past research encompasses studies on anti-oppressive and anti-racist community intervention development. He also studies the use of creativity in community organizing, and community engaged evaluation in collaboration with grassroots organizations. Throughout his time at Old Dominion and Norfolk 91¶ÌÊÓƵ he sought to integrate his teaching and research through community engaged learning. In his teaching and service at NSU, he works alongside colleagues to establish an interdisciplinary living and learning community on food access, community health, and community practice. Both the course and program design include curriculum development and implementing community engaged learning projects in partnership with community organizations in both Richmond and Norfolk, VA.
ACOSA, or The Association for Community Organization and Social Action, is an interdisciplinary association of non-profit administrators, community organizers, and community scholars. ACOSA grew out of social work education in the 1980s after almost two decades of organizing and advocacy.
The ACOSA Award honors the contribution of a person in the field who has demonstrated outstanding potential in an area of community practice, scholarship, teaching, and service, especially in partnership with marginalized or under-represented populations.
Sawyer is also an author. He's published in various venues, such as the Journal of Progressive Human Services, Critical and Radical Social Work, the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, the first Encyclopedia of Macro Social Work, and the Journal of Human Services where he serves on the Editorial Board. His most recent book, A People's Guide to Richmond and Virginia, focuses on the implications of contested spaces in Richmond and Virginia. The book includes interviews with practitioners, activists, and public scholars who share their stories of working in community to undermine dominant settler colonialist narratives and honor the ongoing struggle to dismantle white supremacy endemic in the landscapes of the region.
ACOSA publishes the Journal of Community Practice, and its mission is to, "promote social work education, research, and practice in all areas of community practice including community organizing, community planning and development, organizational leadership, policy practice, and social action. ACOSA fosters global perspectives on social work practice and social welfare policy, advances racial, environmental, and social justice, values interdisciplinary collaboration, improves the social and economic well-being of marginalized communities, and supports human rights for all." Their awards are given to people who, not only embody their ideals, but put them into practice—people like Sawyer.
Upon receiving the ACOSA Award, Sawyer stated, "My main goal of centering my scholarship, research, and practice in community pushes me to directly address how institutions perpetuate harm. It requires prolonged engagement alongside people directly impacted by structural elements of oppression, too often under the guise of helping. Community based research remains most relevant when oriented toward change. ACOSA embodies this in their mission and values."
Sawyer's well-earned recognition comes after years of hard work, research and advocacy. Few of us get the chance to say that we've made a real impact in our communities. Because of Sawyer's contributions—in the classroom, cities, and bookstores—we can put our hopes in a generation of inspired young scholars and a stock in a bright future.
"I will only ever fall short in expressing my deep gratitude for ACOSA, for the consistent support of mentors, colleagues and collaborators who continue to support my growth and development as a community engaged scholar," he shared. "Thanks to Old Dominion 91¶ÌÊÓƵ, the Department of Counseling and Human Services, and the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies for opening the opportunity to serve, and their willingness to support community engaged scholarship and practice."